Hong Kong residents from all walks of life once again demonstrated their compassion for mainland compatriots after a strong earthquake hit Ya'an in Sichuan province. Numerous people immediately offered cash donations to help the disaster area. The Central People's Government Liaison Office in Hong Kong SAR alone received more than HK$6 million in donations on Monday. Liaison Office Director Zhang Xiaoming expressed sincere gratitude to Hong Kong residents on behalf of the Liaison Office staff as well as people in the disaster area and promised all the donations will be handed to those in need in Ya'an. The massive jolt in Ya'an has triggered yet another wave of outpouring compassion from Hong Kong residents, who have never failed to define promptly and thoroughly the saying "blood is thicker than water."

The disaster area is still in dire need of relief materials. and we need to keep giving whatever help we can to the disaster areas to survive and rebuild. Cash donations go a long way in helping the quake-hit areas rebuild. Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has asked the Legislative Council for approval to inject HK$100 million into the Disaster Relief Fund as part of efforts to assist the Sichuan provincial government to provide humanitarian assistance and rebuild in disaster-hit areas.

Some people are urging Hong Kong residents via the Internet not to make cash donations because the handling system is flawed. Though hardly mainstream such propaganda is, it should be guarded against. It is well-known that Hong Kong residents are never shy when it comes to giving and we have a mature regulatory system to ensure cash donations are not misused. It is necessary to prevent politics from hijacking relief efforts while helping the disaster areas rebuild by all means available.

This is an excerpted translation of a Wen Wei Po editorial published on April 23.

(HK Edition 04/24/2013 page1)